ABSTRACT
Amazigh, the autochthonous heritage language hitherto marginalized and excluded from all official language policies in North Africa in general and Morocco in particular, has managed to impose itself thanks to the struggle of the Amazigh Cultural Movement, the role of globalization, and the spread of the Linguistic Human Rights culture. The aim of this chapter is to examine the revitalization process the Amazigh language has been undergoing over the last several decades and to determine the future prospects of this language in Morocco. The main objective is to provide a thorough evaluation of the revitalization activities the Institut Royal de la Culture Amazigh (IRCAM) has undertaken since 2002, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of these programs. The chapter analyzes IRCAM’s earnest efforts and attempts to integrate Amazigh teaching within the official educational process and the difficulties the project has encountered as a result of the Ministry of Education reneging of its commitments highlighted in the official convention signed with IRCAM in 2003. The chapter adopts a qualitative approach based on a document analysis to determine whether the provisions of the 2011 constitution will allow for a break with the clearly assimilatory language policy applied to Amazigh thus far.
